The 2023 ICC ODI World Cup is in full swing, and tournament hosts India will be looking to get their campaign off to a hot start when they take on Australia on Sunday.
India are coming off a comfortable series victory against the Aussies, so they will be brimming with confidence ahead of this clash. We bring you our best bets for the game below!
ICC Cricket World Cup Betting Tips
India vs Australia
Chennai, Sunday 8th October, 7:30pm (AEDT)
India
India entered this tournament as raging favourites, with a stacked squad and an impressive form line to match it.
The home side accounted for Australia 2-1 in an ODI series right on the eve of the World Cup, and throughout the rest of 2023 they have dominated this format, dismantling Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup Final to be crowned champions.
Looking further back, India have also taken down lesser opposition, beating Sri Lanka, New Zealand and the West Indies in separate series.
From a personnel perspective, India boats a near full-strength squad for this tournament. However, in a huge blow for the hosts, Shubman Gill looks likely to miss the WC opener due to a bout of Dengue Fever, leaving a massive hole at the top of the order. The classy opener is the top run scorer in ODIs this year, so whoever is selected to fill his shoes has a massive task.
Nevertheless, India are primed for this World Cup, and the betting markets reflect that.
Joining Kishan at the top of the order will be Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, two veterans who have been in fantastic white ball form in 2023 (658 runs @ 51, 612 runs @ 55), while KL Rahul is also owning his role in the middle order. Pandya and Jadeja provide flexibility at six and seven, with the latter forming a dynamic spin trio with Kuldeep Yadav and Ashwin. Bumrah and Siraj will likely be the first choice quicks, although Mohammed Shami is waiting in the wings.
India Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah
Australia
It will be fascinating to see how Australia perform in this tournament, given the inconsistencies in their preparation.
The Aussies have mixed up their line-up in recent months in pursuit of a best playing XI for this World Cup, but many would argue that there are still question marks over multiple positions in the team, namely the middle order batting positions and the bowling attack.
While David Warner is a lock to open the batting, Mitch Marsh has been forced to partner him in the aftermath of Travis Head’s wrist injury.
Smith and Labuschagne provide stability at three and four, but from there it gets a little murky. Glenn Maxwell played himself into the line-up with some strong all-round performances against India last month, but Cameron Green and Marcus Stoinis are set to compete for the spot at number six.
Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Zampa are set to be the first-choice bowling group, although I expect some rotation considering the loads that Australia’s quicks have been under this year.
It’s a solid squad on paper, but recent series defeats at the hands of India and South Africa have exposed vulnerabilities in Australia’s depth and it could be tough for this aging XI to maintain top levels of performance throughout a gruelling six-week tournament.
Despite those doubts, a win in this opening fixture could provide the spark to send the men in green and gold on a hot run of form.
Australia Predicted XI: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa
Betting Tips
I was 100% set on India at the start of the week, but the news of Gill’s potential absence has slightly dampened my confidence considering his massive influence at the top of the order. Nevertheless, I can see the Indian spinners being too good for Australia, especially on a turning track in Chennai. For that reason, back the hosts to launch their home World Cup with a victory.
Player Prop Quick Tips
Alex Carey Total Runs – Under 23.5 ($1.83 at Ladbrokes) – Carey’s line is relatively low for a specialist batsman, but it reflects his poor which has been poor in this format. The Aussie wicket-keeper batsman has scored 24 or more in just one of his previous seven matches and managed just 14 and 11 against India the recent ODI series.
